Wishmaster
by Naanaami
Summary: Sora recruits Kairi to help search for Riku, and they run into a mysterious young woman, who is from a world destroyed by the Heartless. Could she be the Wishmaster, sent to destroy the Heartless once and for all?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Of course I own Kingdom Hearts! I also own the Strategy guide.what, you thought I was lying? Anyway, Bellana, Rosemary, Tamaru, and Hana are mine. I don't own any of the prophecies, they're lyrics from Nightwish songs.  
  
It's me, Naanaami, again! This time, I'm going to try my luck with a Kingdom hearts fic! Please review so that I can post the next chapter, ok? Now, on to the story.  
  
Bellana left her room, her brow furrowed, her baby in her arms. She had to talk to her husband, but a servant intercepted her path. "Milady Bellana, Lord Ansem has been saying things in his sleep. Before you talk to him, read these." Bellana thanked her, and then began to read the words on the piece of paper her servant had written down.  
  
"Needed elsewhere to remind us of the shortness of our time. Tears laid for them, tears of love, tears of fear. Bury my dreams, dig up my sorrows. Oh,  
Lord why the angels fall first.  
  
Wanderers in cosmic caravan. Universal bond-the Starborn. A child in search of the truth. Discovering the origins of dreams, stargazers ride through  
the ancient realms.  
As you wish. For kingdom come. The one to know all of the answers. You think you dwell in wisdom's sea. Still, ignorance is the key. Challenge the  
Riddler and you will see.  
Sailing on the distant seas from darkness to deliverance. An ancient  
starwalk to merge into the stars. It's not the end. Not the kingdom come It it the journey that matters, the  
distant wanderer. Call of the wild. In me forever and ever and ever  
forever. Wanderlust. Heartborn will find the way! Wishmaster, crusade for your will. A child,  
dream finder. The apprentice becoming master.  
  
"Thank you, Rosemary." Bellana said as the servant left, even more shaken up. As she went into her husband's office, she realized he was asleep, his head on his desk, snoring lightly. She shook him awake, watching as his eyes flickered open and they stared at her. "What is it, Bellana?" Ansem asked, looking up worriedly. She sighed, and showed him the list that Rosemary had written down. "You were talking in your sleep." Ansem finished reading them, and then looked at Bellana. "That isn't the only thing troubling you, is it?" His wife shook her head, and unwrapped the bundle her baby was in.  
It looked much like a human baby, though it had a forked tail, and silver hair. Where a normal human's ears were, there were large, soft, caramel-colored ears that looked like a fennic fox's. Two stubby spiral horns stuck out of the top of her head. "The transformation has started." Bellana whispered, tears coming to her eyes. Ansem put his arm around her. They both knew what it meant. "Can't we just keep her with us, forget about the prophecies?" Ansem shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. You know as well as I do that my experimentation with the Heartless affects me every day. Soon, I'll be overcome by the darkness. I've seen the future in dreams, and heard the prophecies. We have to let her go. She is destined to defeat the Heartless forever, and we must do our part to help complete the prophecy." Bellana bit her lip. She looked down and nodded, tears rolling down her face. "I'll go get her ready for her journey, then." Ansem watched his wife leave him, preparing to send away his only daughter, one of the two people he loved the most. He felt tears at the corners of his eyes, but brushed them away absently. He had work to do, before the darkness consumed him completely. Bellana reached the baby's room, and opened the door. As if passing through an invisible wall, the baby began crying. Her mother sat in a rocking chair and rocked back and forth slowly. Through her tears, Bellana sung her daughter a lullaby, one that was the first prophecy that she had heard. "Master, Apprentice, Heartborn, Seventh Seeker, Warrior, Disciple, In me, the Wishmaster." The baby stirred fitfully, but was instantly asleep again. Bellana lovingly wrapped her daughter in a soft blue blanket, along with a note to whoever happened to find her. As a final gift, Bellana took a necklace off and put around her daughter's neck. It was a silver compass, with a heart and a crown engraved on the outside cover. She snapped it shut for the final time as she picked up a small trinket, an aqua spaceship. She blew on it, and the trinket increased in size until Bellana could fit her daughter inside. She hugged her one last time, and placed her in the ship. The door closed, and it flew out of the open window, soon the size of the nearby stars. Bellana put her hand to her heart, her hair waving in the breeze. "May you find where you need to go, and may you save us all, my child. Triumph over the Heartless, and remember that I will always be waiting for you, my Tamaru."  
  
Tamaru woke up in the middle of the night, her head spinning from the strange dream. She was extremely confused. Who were Ansem and Bellana, and who were they talking about? Why was she in the dream, and what was the Wishmaster? Her younger sister, Hana, turned over and stared at her. "What's wrong, Taru?" Tamaru sighed. "Nothing, just go back to sleep." The two sisters went back to sleep quietly, not noticing the star on the horizon that was growing brighter by the minute.  
  
Ooh! Cliffy! Review to find out more, ok? 


	2. Chapter 1

Oh, I feel so bad! I haven't written in nearly 2 months! I'm such a bad fanfic writer! *hangs head* Well, here's the 1st chappie! Oh, yes, I don't own any of the characters so far except for Tamaru, Squaresoft stole them first!  
  
Kairi woke up in the middle of the night, sweating and breathing hard. She had had another nightmare about Sora and Riku, and losing them forever. She hadn't been sleeping well since Sora defeated Ansem a year ago, and tonight was no exception. She would often sit out on the beach, waiting for him, but he never came. Kairi decided to take a walk on the beach. She left a note for her mother on her bedside table, and then climbed out of her window and into the calm darkness of the night.  
It was beautiful outside, though it was slightly cold, so Kairi pulled on a thin jacket as she walked along the water's edge. The moon's reflection on the water made it look like quicksilver, and it looked as bright as daylight, though sunrise was several hours away. Kairi had no idea where she was going, and then soon realized where she was headed. She opened the door to the rickety shore shack, and stepped inside, ascending the steps to reach the other door on the top level. Crossing the creaky wooden bridge, Kairi soon reached the small island. It was pretty in the moonlight, the palm trees and paopu fruits glistening in the soft light. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered the times they'd spent together on the island. She could almost see Riku in the tree that hung over the water and Sora sitting next to him. Some days, she missed them so much that it was unbearable. Sure, Selphie and Tidus were friendly, and Wakka was like an older brother to her, but it just wasn't the same. More and more she wandered off alone, waiting for a day that she knew would never come. She sighed, tears creeping down her face as she climbed into the tree that Riku and Sora always sat in. She lay down, stretching out over the water. The tree rocked her from side to side as she almost felt Riku and Sora beside her. With these comforting thoughts, she finally felt asleep, feeling at ease. Wakka, out on his early morning run When she awoke, Wakka was nearby, playing with his blitzball. He looked over at her. "Finally, you're awake!" Kairi smiled, and nodded. She left the blanket on the tree, walked to the very edge of the island, and dived into the water. It felt good to swim around in the waves, cool water brushing against her skin. She kicked her way to shore, remembering when Riku and Sora taught her how to swim when she was little. Walking toward Wakka, Kairi shook her head to get the water out of her hair, crystal droplets going everywhere. "What'd you do that for?" Wakka wanted to know, laughing. Kairi shrugged. "It was a faster way of getting down." Wakka smiled at her, and then motioned her to sit down. "Something's on your mind, I can tell. Wanna tell me what it is?" Kairi looked at her shoes, not speaking for a while. "I miss Sora and Riku." She finally blurted out, trying to keep from crying. She looked back down at the sandy ground, tears making darker circles in the soft sand. Wakka sat on the ground next to her with a sigh. "Kairi, you gotta believe in them, ya? I'm sure they miss you, too, and they're trying to come back as fast as they can. Trust me. One of these days, you'll be walking outside, and you'll see them racing to the pier, just like they used to. You've just gotta wait on 'em. They'll be back." Kairi looked at him, and smiled. "Thanks, Wakka. I don't feel so bad any more." Wakka grinned. "That was the point. If ya wanna practice fighting today, Tidus and Selphie are over in the Cove." Kairi nodded, and ran off to join them. Selphie looked up, and noticed Kairi running towards her. "Back for more, is she?" Tidus asked with a grin, grabbing his trusty wooden sword. "Last time you fought her, she nearly buried you six feet under. It's my turn!" Selphie said, tripping him with her jump rope. Tidus sighed as Kairi came up. "So, who's going to challenge me first?" She asked as she grabbed her choice weapon, a wooden sword nearly identical to Tidus'. Selphie grinned and stepped forward as Tidus moved out of the way, counting off the battle. "Ready...set...go!" Quickly, Selphie wrapped her rope around Kairi's ankles and pulled, sending her to the ground. Kairi brushed off the attack and hit Selphie on the backs of her knees, making her fall to the ground. Hitting her on the shoulder and getting whacked on the back by the rope, Kairi whirled away for another attack. Selphie was on her feet, and wrapped her rope around Kairi's sword, trying to pull it away from her opponent. Kairi whipped her sword around, and Selphie's plan backfired as her rope was pulled out of her hands. Kairi hit her with the sword until she surrendered and slumped to the ground. "No fair. You win every time!" Kairi grinned, proud of another victory. Grudgingly, Selphie handed over a Pretty Stone, a blue one that glimmered in the sun. Tidus smiled. "Now will you challenge me? Please?" Kairi shook her head. "Sorry, maybe tomorrow. I don't really feel so great right now. I'll challenge you later. She left the Cove, walking quickly. Kairi had no clue where she was planning to go, but her feet soon carried her to the secret place near the waterfall that Sora and Riku had discovered so long ago. Kairi walked down the long hallway slowly, almost hearing Sora and Riku's voices echoing through the cave. She entered the cave, sitting on the nearest rock. She put her head down and started crying, silent tears falling to the ground. Almost as if in prayer, a thought appeared in her head. 'Please let me see Sora and Riku again.' Kairi sighed. It was impossible. She would probably never see them again. Suddenly, a sound made her look up. "I thought that you'd be in here." A voice said as footsteps got louder and louder. Kairi's heart began to beat faster and faster as she saw the figure silhouetted in the doorway. "Hiya Kairi, I'm back." Time seemed to stop as Kairi stood up. "Sora." She whispered, and then ran towards him. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back, so glad that he was back. They let go, and Kairi realized that he had changed. He was taller, and more muscular than she remembered, and with different clothes, but his trademark spiky hairstyle was the same. "I'm so glad you're back!" Kairi said, but then she looked confused. "Where's Riku?" Sora's face was momentarily clouded with sadness, but a mask of happiness soon replaced it. "I'll tell you later." He said lightly. "Now, I have to go say hi to everyone else. C'mon!" Kairi and Sora left the secret place, hand in hand. Wakka was first to see Sora, and he was extremely surprised. He dropped his blitzball, and ran up to him. "Sora? Dat you?" Sora nodded, and grinned. "Yep, I'm back!" Wakka rescued the forgotten ball, and hurled it at Sora, who flung it back with equal strength, hitting Wakka in the face. "Ow! That hurt! Yep, it's you, Sora. You'll have to tell us what you did while exploring!" There was a question in his eyes that he didn't ask: Where's Riku? Sora smiled. "I will...later. I have to leave again, soon. I need to go find Riku, and I know he's out there, somewhere." Wakka nodded. "True. Go find Riku. We'll be here." Sora nodded, and then ran off to find Tidus and Selphie, Kairi at his heels. When he found Selphie and Tidus, they were busy fighting, and were equally matched. Grabbing a stick from the nearby stack, he disarmed them both in seconds. "Who did that...Sora?" Selphie said as she came over to him. Sora grinned in response. "You're back!" Tidus said, surprised. "Wanna fight me? Selphie already got defeated by Kairi, so I'll fight you!" Sora nodded. "Sure, why not?" He said, standing in a ready position. "Kairi, you fight the winner!" Kairi grinned, and nodded. Sora needed no invitation as he ran towards Tidus, sword extended. Tidus managed to block the first few hits, and even hit Sora pretty hard, but the tide soon turned, and Sora soon ended up the winner. Tidus was sprawled in the sand, his sword in Sora's hand. Kairi grinned. "My turn! I think I'll try a new weapon." She murmured as she searched the small box. She grabbed a group of jump ropes, and tied them together. "Here, let's start!" She rushed at Sora, ready to fight. Sora ran towards her, about to hit her, when he was blinded. Kairi had hit the sand with her weapon, sending stinging bits of sand everywhere. As Sora rubbed his eyes, trying to get it out of his eyes, he felt hits from the ropes raining down on him. Instead of blocking it, he rolled out of the way and closer to Kairi, where he hit her hard in the stomach. She took a minute to catch her breath, and Sora attacked her. Back and forth it went, with Selphie and Tidus not being able to tell who was the winner. Finally, both of them stopped, weapons dropping to the ground. "It was a tie." Sora told them with a smile, but then his expression changed. "I'm afraid I have to leave now. Riku's still out there, and I've gotta find him!" Everyone agreed, and Sora went back to the ship, Kairi at his heels. "Kairi, I need your help." Sora told her, as she was about to leave. "Why mine?" Kairi asked. "Because I'm tired of looking for Riku alone, and I'm sure that you could help me find him. Kairi didn't take long to decide. "Let's go!" Sora nodded, and let her onto the Gummi Ship. After they sat down, he started the engine, and the ship glided through the air and disappeared from view without a sound. "Where are we?" Kairi wondered aloud. Sora grinned. "This is the Gummi Ship, the main form of transportation from world to world." "It's cute!" Kairi cooed, watching the stars go by. Sora got slightly annoyed, but said nothing. "Where are we going?" "To Traverse Town, where you can meet Aerith, Yuffie, and the others. I heard that they found someone new, who's really good at dealing with Heartless." "Hn." "What's wrong?" "Oh, nothing. I just feel so...out of it. I mean, everyone we're about to meet has fought Heartless, and they know how to kill the Heartless. I feel so useless, not knowing what I'm going to be facing." Sora sighed. "Don't worry about it! Everyone'll help you out, and you'll learn to fight in no time! I promise that you'll do fine! Everyone is very nice." "OK. Hey, there's Traverse Town!" Kairi pointed, and Sora turned to look. Sure enough, the small world had appeared in the window. Sora steered his way to the dock, where an elderly man was waiting. "Where are ye headed? I'm guessin' yer goin' straight in, then?" Sora nodded, and the man flipped a small switch. Instantly, a small door opened, with room for Kairi and Sora to go in. "Thank ye!" The man called, shutting the door behind them. Traverse Town entranced Kairi. Though it was late at night, the streets were lit up with lanterns, and people still walked around. The cobblestone ground was worn smooth by travelers, and shop windows glowed with life. Calming music played from an unseen source, making Kairi feel right at home. Sora grinned. "Well, this is Traverse Town for ya. You can get anywhere from here!" Kairi was in awe. "Now, let's go meet the others!" Sora said as he grabbed Kairi's hand. Kairi followed Sora through the twisty streets and narrow alleys. They soon reached a large wooden door that read in fancy lettering, 'Second District'. Kairi was about to open the door, but Sora stopped her. "There are Heartless in there. Be careful." Kairi nodded as Sora walked through the door with his Keyblade extended. As soon as the door was opened, Heartless began to spawn out of nowhere. Most were small, stooped dark shadows, though some were red and brown bird- lizards. Sora defeated them quickly, though he got clawed by one of the birds. Healing green orbs dropped from the Heartless, and Sora grabbed as many as he could before moving on. Racing with Kairi through the streets, they ran into a few more Heartless, but not many. Sora finally ran down an alley with Kairi at his heels. Though most windows glowed brightly, the house at the end was silent. Sora rapped on the window three times and the door opened. Expecting to see a small house, Kairi was surprised to enter an enormous house that was at least two stories high. Though it was sparsely furnished, warmth seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. "Where are we?" Kairi asked. Sora grinned. "This is the HFN's headquarters." "The HFN?" "Yeah, the Heartless Fighter's Network. It started out as just the five of us, but now it goes through most of the worlds. Each world has one, but Traverse Town has the nicest. Here is where we can communicate to other worlds, and we live here." He walked to the edge of the stairwell and dialed a code into the banister. "They should be here any minute." Kairi was about to ask who 'they' were, but she soon got her answer. Four teenagers several years older than her had appeared before her eyes, each dressed differently. "We're the founders of the HFN. I'm guessing you would be Princess Kairi?" One of the boys said. He had spiky blond hair and a mechanical leg. One black wing graced a shoulder, and he was leaning on a sword almost taller than he was. Kairi stuttered, "Princess Kairi? What are you talking about?" A girl walked up next to the blond boy and put her hand on his shoulder. She had brown hair with strange-looking pink ears (A/N: Are they ears? I dunno...), and had bright green eyes. "Oh, Sora hasn't explained that to you yet? Well, don't worry about it. We'll tell you about it soon enough. Another girl emerged from the shadows, and sighed. "Alright already! Enough with that! On to the intros! OK, that's Cloud and Aerith, and I'm the great ninja Yuffie!" Sora glared at her, and she looked a little embarrassed. "Okay, maybe not that great." She had short, black hair, and perky brown eyes. "That's Squall." She said, pointing to a guy with brown hair who wore all black. "That's Leon." "Whatever. Anyway, wanna come and sit down?" Kairi nodded, and before she knew it she was seated on a couch next to Sora, a hot drink in her hands. Cloud and Aerith were sitting on a different couch, and Leon and Yuffie were in armchairs near the fire. Yuffie smiled. "So, what do ya wanna hear about first?" Sora opened his mouth to say something, but Kairi interrupted him. "Who started all of this in the first place, and why did you call me Princess Kairi?" Aerith nodded. "Both are very good questions, and are connected." "Ansem is, or was, a court magician in a distant land. His magic was more helpful than harmful, and many people praised him. He lived on a world that knew nothing of Gummi travel or anything like that; they were cut off from the rest of the world. Ansem had no idea about the Heartless, and it probably would have stayed that way had it not been for one thing. Ansem was also a scientist, and studied the strange and unknown parts of his world. He then would report his findings back to the king. However, one night strange gummy blocks fell from the sky. Instead of sending them to the king, Ansem kept them. He soon discovered how to put them together, but still didn't show the king. He began to experiment with people's hearts, terrible experiments that often ended in the person dying. Ansem was no longer trusted. Ansem finally decided to leave, and find the Heartless to study. That's where you came in, Kairi. You see, the king had one young daughter named Kairi. In the middle of the night, Ansem kidnapped you and dropped you off at a small, unassuming world, Destiny Islands. He was angry with the king and queen, so he had his revenge. Then, he went to the source of the Heartless himself, Kingdom Hearts. He opened the door, and Heartless rushed out of it, destroying worlds as they went. Sucked into the Kingdom for a while, Ansem became one of evil." Soon after, Sora asked his question. "Why are Heartless still roaming around? I remember closing the door, and Ansem was defeated, so what happened?" Leon stood up, and leaned against a pillar. "Do you honestly think that Ansem was that easy to destroy?" He asked Sora questioningly. When Sora tried to protest that he'd defeated Ansem more than once, Leon interrupted. "Ansem is harder than you think. He merely had to gain his strength, and now he's stronger than ever. He's basically invincible now." Sora sighed, angry. "So, how is it that I defeat him?" Yuffie answered his question. "You don't. I don't mean that we let him attack anything he wants to. It's just that it's no longer your responsibility." "Why not?" Yuffie sighed. "Because now, the only person capable of defeating Ansem is his daughter. The problem is, nobody knows where she is. She disappeared as a child to who knows where, and probably died, so that's a big problem. Anyway, to your mission. To help you find Riku, we've enlisted the help of a mage, the newest addition to our team. Besides searching for Riku, you need to report to King Mickey." Sora nodded. "So, where is this mage?" Yuffie smiled. "Actually, she's right behind you." Sora looked behind him, and was shocked.  
  
Heheheheh...minor cliffy. Oh, well...review, please!!!!! 


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Fun! Four pages long! Anyway, I've been extremely busy with school projects, state testing, and everything else in my life. However, I've updated, and I might update with the next chapter later tonight! Well, maybe not...I'll try to work on it, though...please review...they're appreciated, flames too! Well, here it is! For one thing, the mage was a girl, and a weird one at that. She was about Sora's height, and looked very dangerous. Her skin was golden-brown, and her eyes were an aquamarine color. Her hair was short, about chin-length, and flipped up at the ends. It was silver, and had blue tips. Two small, spiral horns were at the top of her head, and large ears, much like a deer's, stuck out from between her hair, where normal ears should have been. Her ears were a caramel color, and her horns were bright silver, with bronze at the top. However, the weirdest thing of all was her tail. It was about as long as Kairi was tall, and furless. It tapered from being as big around as her leg to almost disappearing. Like her ears, it was a light brown. At the tip of her tail was a leaf-shaped spike. It was aquamarine, and looked very sharp.  
Her outfit was strange as well. She wore a black top that had sleeves that wrapped around her arms. Silver swirls wrapped around her sleeves and the hem of her shirt and sleeves had some lacy teal edges. Her skirt was angular, halfway down her thigh on one side, and past her knees on the other. It was a black silky material like the shirt, and had silver swirls and teal edges. Tan, soft leather boots went almost up to her knees, and a black hooded cloak ran down her back. She had strange black gloves that were connected to a band of black cloth at her elbow. They were black as well, and had a strange symbol in silver on them, three water droplets above a crescent moon. They ended at the base of her fingers, exposing sharp claws at the end of them. She also had a silver necklace with the Heartless symbol inscribed on a small disc, but the girl tucked it beneath her shirt when she noticed Kairi looking.  
"My name is Tamaru." The girl said with an unknown accent. "I am the mage sent to help you out on your journey to find Riku." With this, she indicated her staff. It was silver, and had a phoenix at the top, its eyes a bright blue. A black orb rested above it, faintly sparking with small white prongs of lightning. Sora was shocked speechless. Kairi, however, wasn't, and responded for them. "Hi, I'm Kairi, and that is Sora." Tamaru nodded, and then looked to Leon and Yuffie. "Well, Ansem's not going to wait forever. I'm going to leave, if that's alright with you." When Leon nodded, Tamaru looked back at the other two. "All right! Well, let's get going now. We have quite a bit to do, and not much time! My ship's out that way." Kairi dragged Sora behind her, trying not to get lost.  
When Tamaru reached an empty clearing, Kairi was confused. There wasn't a ship in sight, but Tamaru didn't seem worried. She simply took out the disc with the heartless symbol, and opened it up. There looked to be a compass inside. She tapped the North symbol lightly, and it began to glow with a golden light. The light pointed straight up, illuminating a small ship. It didn't look like a Gummi Ship, as the ship was too sleek. Kairi didn't have very long to look at it, as Tamaru pressed the South symbol and it disappeared.  
Suddenly, a small shiny object dropped out of the bottom of the compass. Kairi went to pick it up, but Tamaru stopped her. The small pellet began to quiver violently, shooting out golden sparks. It disappeared in a large cloud of shimmery smoke, and then Kairi saw it grow in size, nearly filling the small courtyard. "Wow." Sora said.  
Tamaru's ship was mainly black, with touches of silver. The hatch door opened automatically, and after looking inside, Kairi realized that it was much roomier than Sora's ship. The cockpit area had room for more than five people, and there looked to be a storage area at the back. As Kairi climbed in, she noticed Sora just standing there (A/N: Sora is shocked a lot! X3). Tamaru just laughed at his expression. "What, did you think that we were travelling in a little bitty Gummi ship? C'mon, we've got worlds to search!"  
With Sora finally on board, Tamaru began to steer the small ship out of the alley, and let it rise into the Traverse Town sky. The night sky was ablaze with stars, and the people below looked like small ants. Tamaru guided it with ease to the man who operated the door, and waved. The gatekeeper recognized her. "Tamaru! Ye be careful now, ye hear?" Tamaru nodded, and the door closed behind them.  
Space was even prettier, with clouds of mist all the colors of the rainbow lazily floated by. All of the numerous worlds were jewel-bright pinpoints of light, some closer and brighter than other worlds. Other small ships flew past their view, some colliding into the nearby asteroids. Laser fire was everywhere, aimed at obstacles, other ships, and even Tamaru's ship. She growled in annoyance, and pressed a button on the console. Instantly, the lasers began to bounce off, sent careening in all directions. Tamaru stalled the ship, and pulled a keypad from under the steering wheel. Consulting her compass, she typed in some coordinates, and hit another button, causing the ship to urge forward. She grinned. "Now that it's on autopilot, why don't you tell me about yourselves?"  
After telling her about Destiny Islands, Ansem, Riku, and everything else that they could think of, Tamaru nodded. "Well, that's quite a bunch of complicated lives you two lead. I'd tell you about myself, but that would take way too long, and we're almost to our destination. My ship, Ocean Soul, is way faster than any other ship..." Sora interrupted her. "Where are we going?" Tamaru thought for a moment, and then answered, "Oh, just my adopted hometown, Peregrine Falls." The world had come into view. Tall wooden buildings were set up on trees over a series of canals, a series of waterfalls cascading at the bottom. Tamaru found the door quickly, a silver porthole. She tapped on the door three times, and it opened. "Welcome to Peregrine Falls!"  
Though the town itself was quite small, it was full of things to do. Small shops and houses lined the wooden docks, and gondolas were everywhere. Besides the docks, large trees grew above them, their sides covered in windows, doors, and narrow walkways. Some buildings were even at the tops of the trees, stairways peeking from the foliage. At the bottom of it all was the fast-moving river and the famed Peregrine Falls. Though it looked like one big waterfall, Peregrine Falls was really over twenty smaller falls that connected and disconnected. Small lifts were strewn around the falls, and it looked like there was another town near the base of the falls.  
Kairi and Sora were awed by the city, and as Tamaru docked her ship, she kept up a constant stream of chatter. "Those falls are treacherous; lots of people try to go down them and live, but most that survive the bumps and sharp rocks drown at the bottom. Also, the stairways can get you lost, unless you have a guide or know the area. All in all, Peregrine Falls is a pretty misleading place to live, but I love it here, where I don't get disturbed or anything." After securing her ship, she opened the top. Climbing out first, she helped Kairi and Sora get out, and then led them to a wooden kiosk near the docks.  
The young man sitting there took a while to respond, but then he noticed Tamaru. "Tamaru! You've come back! I knew you would. Your parents are looking for you." Tamaru smiled. "Hiya, Griffin! Of course I'd come back! How much do I owe ya? I'm here for a couple of days." Griffin looked down the sheet, and answered, "10,000 munny per night." Tamaru smacked her hand on the table, but handed the munny over, saying "That's robbery! Anyway, Griff, come by my place once your shift is over, about 3 or so. There're some people I'd like ya to meet!" Griff grinned. "Have a nice day!"  
"So, where do you live, exactly?" Kairi asked curiously. Tamaru replied, "Top floor penthouse." Sora pointed at the lifts. "We're takin' those, right?" Tamaru shook her head, wounded at the thought. "Only tourists take those, and as far as I'm concerned, you live here. We're takin' the stairs, so quit your whining." Sora groaned as Tamaru took her heavy cloak off in the stifling warmth, and started up the nearest steps, giving Sora and Kairi no choice but to follow.  
At first, the stairs weren't so bad. Tamaru picked up the pace, and Sora and Kairi could follow it. They soon ran into a group of slanting walkways, which Tamaru gladly took, and they then found more stairs. After a while, however, Sora and Kairi began to slow down, so Tamaru slowed down for a bit. She led them through paths that twisted and turned so much that it would look like Tamaru was behind them when she was really far in front. As they neared the top, even Tamaru tired a bit. When all three ascended the final stair together, they sighed in relief. Sora and Kairi collapsed on a bench while Tamaru went to a nearby kiosk. She bought three cold smoothies, and gave one to each of them. After sitting and drinking something, they weren't tired any more. Tamaru led them through the mass of shops, and then they saw a door to Tamaru's home. She pressed her hand in the middle of the door, it was scanned, and then the door beeped. Tamaru sighed with relief as the door opened, and she beckoned Sora and Kairi inside.  
The first thing that Kairi noticed was the smells of cedar wood and cinnamon that seemed to envelop the rooms. The furniture was made out of wood, though it had many different colors, from a light golden to a dark mahogany. Colorful pillows and rugs were everywhere, and the chairs looked extremely comfortable. The walls were made of cedar, and were marbled light and darker wood. The entire house looked cozy, and the kitchen was huge. It had a hallway leading out of the living room, probably to several more rooms. There was even a stairway going up, and a ladder leading down. "Your house is huge!" Kairi exclaimed." Tamaru shrugged. "I guess. Actually, it was super cheap. Nobody wanted to live on the top floor of an old cedar tree, so I got it for about 50,000 munny. A house this big at the bottom is probably ten times that."  
Suddenly, a small ball of fluff hurled itself at Tamaru, who held her arms open for it. Sora whipped his head around. "What was that?" Tamaru grinned, petting the ball of fluff. "Oh, this is Mimiru! She's a phoenix tiger." Mimiru purred in contentment. She looked like a baby tiger, and her eyes were bright green. She had light gray fur with charcoal stripes that glittered with gold. Her ears and paws were tipped with pure white fur. Small wings were perched on her shoulder that reminded Kairi of a dragon's. They were mainly a dark gray, but the claws at the ends were silver. The webbing in her wings looked clear, but shimmered with gold in the light. Small tufts of golden feathers stood out from her tail, ears, and legs.  
Kairi grinned. "She's so cute!" Tamaru smiled as well. "Yeah, I know. I found her and her brother cornered by some poachers that were trying to sell their furs for munny. Of course that was before the law that protected them...anyway I saved 'em, with Griff's help. You'll meet him in a little while. Besides being cute, they can turn into a huge tiger-dragon that's about the size of my ship." Looking at Sora and Kairi's surprised expressions, she laughed. "I'm kidding. She can get pretty big, though." Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Oh, that must be Griff! Go ahead and sit down!" Tamaru said as she opened the door.  
Sure enough, it was Griff. He carried a bag of something and a ball of fur in his arms, which could only be a phoenix tiger. Griff reminded Sora of Leon, except with blond hair, bright green eyes, and a friendlier expression. The small furball bounded out of his arms to nuzzle his sister. Its fur was a tawny gold, and had brown stripes and black feathers. Its wings were tan with golden claws and black webbing, and its eyes were a molten gold. Griff laughed good-heartedly as he watched the siblings play, and then looked at Tamaru. "Hello, Tamaru. You're looking as lovely as ever." Tamaru grinned. "Come on, sit down. I haven't seen you in a while."  
As Griff sat down, he noticed Kairi and Sora. "Are these the people you wanted me to meet?" Tamaru nodded. "Yeah, they're from Destiny Islands, a real backwater world. That's Sora, the guy who defeated Ansem the first time. Kairi's his friend, and she was the princess of Hollow Bastion before Ansem sent her away." Griff was impressed. "So, hangin' with the famous, are we?" Tamaru laughed. "Pretty much! Well, come on and sit down. We've a lot to catch up on."  
As Griff sat down, Tamaru went up to get some tea. She offered it to everyone, and then sat down herself. Kairi looked over at Tamaru. "So, how do you know Tamaru, exactly?" Griff chuckled. "Actually, we go way back. We met when she first left home, and we've been friends ever since." Tamaru nodded in his direction, and then asked, "So, anything interesting happening in Peregrine recently?" Griff shook his head. "Not really. Some of the larger shops have been sabotaging the other shops by the docks. It scared people because they thought that there would be another merchant war." Sora looked up. "A merchant war?" Tamaru nodded. "My island is full of traders, so they were pretty hard hit. Huge companies started picking on smaller businesses, because they were cheaper than the huge companies could afford. So, they'd mess up something in the business, and give themselves more customers for a few days. However, it got worse. They started bombing buildings in the middle of the night, and not being up front with the authorities. People started getting killed, and we realized we had to do something. So, we declared civil war on the large businesses. At the time I arrived, the war was underway, but our side was in desperate need of sharpshooters. I signed up, got my job, and got paid for it. Griff became a sharpshooter, too, and that's how we met." Griff continued, "The war ended with a tie, because nobody wanted to fight any more. Everyone who participated in the war got paid tons of munny and a choice of a home here. After that, Tamaru became a trader, and I ran a shop for a while, but then just operated the docks." He looked at Tamaru. "So, what've you been doing?" "Well, my shop hadn't been doing do well, so I thought I'd go to Traverse Town to advertise. Instead, I met this group of people who were fighting against the Heartless. I thought it'd be a nice way to fight Heartless, so I joined. They needed a mage on their side, and said that they'd have a job for me. Now, I'm with these two, and we're trying to find their friend, Riku, and defeat Ansem all over again." For a moment, Griff appeared stunned, but recovered quickly. "Well, I guess you had a lot more fun then me. Darn. I was sure my story of watching dust fly by would be very entertaining." Tamaru laughed. "Well, it still is. We're leaving in a few days' time. I'm gonna get myself some new supplies, and then we're out of Peregrine again." Griff looked up at her, and then asked, "Can I come along? I'm not gonna make ya lag behind, I promise!" He was almost begging, and Kairi felt sorry for him. His life must be so boring that even leaving town sounded fun. Tamaru sighed in mock- exaggeration. "OK, fine. You can come. We leave tomorrow afternoon after your shift, though." Griff grinned his thanks, and then stood up. "Sorry to cut this short but I have to leave...I'll be here tomorrow!" Tamaru smiled and waved. Mimiru's brother bounded after his master, who picked him up before shutting the door behind him. Tamaru got up, and looked at Kairi and Sora. "Well, we have a few hours before dinner. I promised a friend to let her meet you. She owns a restaurant up here. What do ya wanna do? I could give you a tour of this, take you guys shopping, or we could just rest here. What do you want, Sora?" "Eh, I'd like to rest here, thanks." "Kairi?" "What do you need to go shopping for?" Tamaru grinned. "Just some supplies for our trip...and some more magic-proof clothes. Being a mage, clothes that repel magic are imperative. I've had these boots and cloak forever and a day, and they tend to be faulty, so I'll get them fixed. Of course, I'll get you guys some new stuff." Sora looked up at her. "Why do we need new clothes? Mine are fine..." "No, they're not, and you know it. They're looking pretty ragged, and you guys need something nice because our next stop is King Mickey's castle. I will not have you two looking like street urchins." She sounded so much like a mother that Kairi started laughing. Tamaru looked at her strangely, but continued talking. "Personally, I'd like to get some shopping in, so we'll do that! Off we go!" She said, dragging a happy Kairi and a grumpy Sora out the door. 


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Happy summer to everyone out of school, and good luck to everyone else still in class! I've had writer's block for a while, so bear with me! Now that school's finally out, expect lots more chapters, longer chapters, and maybe even another fanfic...not for Kingdom Hearts though. Eh, too lazy to make up more people, so expect to see some Final Fantasy VII characters in this chapter, and maybe some from X-2. Warning: There are a couple of Final Fantasy VII spoilers in here, but as long as you're past Cosmo Canyon and the first disk, you should be all right. On to the fic!  
Tamaru wandered through the level, Kairi and Sora at her heels, before stopping at a small store. It was called 'Sith's Magic and Weaponry', and a small bell jingled as Tamaru entered. The store was full of shelves, almost like a library, except the shelves were full of stands carrying weapons of varying size, shape, and function. Normal weapons were there, like bows and arrows and swords, but Sora also saw nunchaku, slingshots, daggers, staffs, and even a couple of keyblades. Torches lit the store, but it was still slightly dark, the mahogany wood walls and carpets giving it a mysterious air. Shields decorated the walls, and there was a small wooden sign next to a stairwell. It had a moogle on it, and said, 'Kupo'. Sora and Kairi were so busy exploring the store that when the shop owner came up behind them, they were a little surprised. Kairi squeaked and Sora looked scared half to death, but they turned around anyway. The shopkeeper was a little strange himself. He was a black and white cat wearing a small yellow crown and funny red vest. He looked to be carrying a golden megaphone, and was riding on an oversized stuffed moogle with ridiculous looking tiny wings and huge arms and legs. "Welcome to my store. I'm Cait Sith, and you are?" Sora was the first to speak. "I'm Sora, and this is Kairi." "Oh, so you defeated Ansem? Good job!" The moogle clapped slowly, the sound echoing throughout the store. Cait Sith seemed to be hopping from foot to foot; he was so full of energy. "So, I'm assuming you came in here to buy something...what are you looking for?" Just as Sora was about to say that he had no idea, Tamaru came over and interrupted. "Hey, Cait Sith!" "Tamaru! So good to see you! What were you looking for?" Tamaru thought for a moment, then replied, "Actually, I'm looking for a lot of things. I need to get an attachment for my staff, an attachment for Sora, a weapon or combo weapon for Kairi, same for Griff, some sort of barrette for Mimiru, and just polish everyone's up. I also need four ribbons and several minor magic repellants. If you could throw in some throwing daggers too, that'd be great." She said this all very quickly, and Cait Sith finished writing down the order with a flourish. "Lemme get this straight." He said. "Weapon polishing, two weapon attachments, two new weapons or combos, a barrette weapon, four ribbons, five minor magic repellants, two throwing daggers. Is that all?" Tamaru nodded. "That'll be 300,000 gil please." Tamaru groaned in annoyance, but reached into her bag and pulled out a wallet. She began pulling out bills and gave them to Cait Sith, who put them in a zippered pocket. Cait Sith beamed. "Nice doing business with ya! You can browse and pick whatever you want for weapons and attachments and things. I already got the amulets and ribbons." He said, gesturing at the pile of objects on a table. Tamaru looked at Sora and Kairi. "Come on. Let's pick out some weapons." Tamaru had obviously been there before, as she quickly grabbed two sharp throwing daggers and her own weapon attachment, a retractable long dagger, jagged and sharp. She also helped Kairi choose her weapon, a simple silver sword that was extremely lightweight and slim. Sora chose a small magic orb to increase his magic power, and Tamaru got a new one to replace the one already on her staff. Kairi also grabbed one, and they decided on a bow and arrows for Griff. They were ones that had an automatic refilling quiver, and arrows tipped with Holy, which would instantly defeat any shadow they came across. Tamaru found a barrette weapon for Mimiru. It clipped on tightly, and had high defense and room for three small marble-sized magic orbs, which Tamaru put in a pouch. They then carried all of their supplies to Cait Sith, who nodded. "Nice choices. Set down the bow and arrows, and you can combo everything else upstairs." Tamaru did as she was told, and they ascended the stairs, Cait Sith following them. Upstairs was completely different from downstairs. The main colors were green and light brown, and huge windows were everywhere. Comfortable armchairs were along one wall, and small worktables with benches were situated around a large furnace. Tools of the trade hung from the ceiling or were placed in large baskets on various tables. Several Moogles were working on weapons, some being melded in the furnace while others were being taken from large metal trays, ready to begin the process. The finished weapons were hung on brackets on the wall, some slightly red while others were completely cool. Surveying all of this was a tall man. He wore a simple white shirt and loose, leather pants and shoes. His hair was dark brown, and when he turned around to greet them, Kairi noticed that he had bright green eyes. "Tamaru, isn't it?" She nodded. "And who are the rest of these people?" "Sora and Kairi!" Cait Sith said in a singsong voice. He nodded. "My name is Reeve, and I created Cait Sith. I also run the synthesis system up here."  
"Created?" Sora asked. He was confused.  
"Yes, Cait Sith's a robot. I'm quite proud of him, myself." He walked to Tamaru. "Just place each weapon in separate trays, and you can have a seat. Feel free to stay here as long as you want, though I doubt all of them will be finished by morning." Tamaru nodded, and organized everything before sitting back down. Sora and Kairi sat next to her, and Cait Sith simply sat on his moogle. "So, have you heard from the others?"  
Sora was about to interrupt by asking who "the others" were when Tamaru responded. "Yep. Aerith and Cloud met up in Traverse Town, and Yuffie is working there as well. Tifa owns a bar here, and runs it with Barret and Marlene. Cid owns a Gummi Ship shop in Traverse Town, and his daughter, Rikku, though I don't think you've met her, runs the best machine shop anywhere. Vincent owns a ship and is a trader, going from Traverse Town to Peregrine, and everywhere in between. Red XIII, or Nanaki, as he calls himself now, lives on the Tetra Islands and had the best magic defense accessories anywhere around."  
For a while, there was silence in the shop as Cait Sith pondered all of this. At last, he nodded. "Sounds like everyone is doing well. I'm surprised that Aerith left the Lifestream, but Traverse Town was where almost everyone showed up. Haven't seen Vincent or Red XIII in a while, and I didn't know where anyone else was. Maybe I should take a day off and visit everybody. I've always wanted to meet Cid's daughter." Then, he lowered his voice. "And, about Sephiroth?"  
Tamaru sighed. "Still alive, but virtually harmless. He lives at the Olympus Coliseum, as one of the challengers. The platinum match, I think. Aerith refuses to go there, and I honestly don't blame her." Cait Sith nodded grimly. "Apparently, though we destroyed him, he ended up here. Perhaps he was a Heartless?" Sora shook his head. "No. He wasn't a shadow, but I doubt he's even a human...he moved so fast...it was nearly impossible to beat him." The cat looked over at him. "You defeated him alone? It took Cloud, Vincent and I all of our strength to finally defeat him." Cait Sith stared at Sora with newfound respect.  
Tamaru looked down at her watch. "Oh, we're late! We were supposed to meet Tifa at her bar now! I've gotta run. It was nice seeing you two again." Reeve nodded. "Come back any time. We still have to finish your weapons, just don't lose your receipt." Cait Sith handed it to Tamaru, who stuffed it in her bag and ran out the door, Kairi and Sora following.  
Luckily, Tifa's bar was nearby. A bright neon sign proclaimed: "Tifa's 7th Heaven" in light blue, and small white angel wings adorned each side. The sign was mounted on a cloud, and a halo rested on the middle word in the sign. Tamaru walked through the door, and beckoned the others inside. Soft panels of light adorned the walls, and a mural of a blue sky with clouds and angels was on the ceiling. The tables and chairs were black and silver, and the bar was made of light-colored wood. The maitre-de smiled at the three of them, and led them to a small booth away from the other diners, with room for Tifa to sit. After ordering, the petite waitress walked off to the kitchens.  
A moment later, Tifa appeared. She had long brown hair; a ribbon was tied in it a few inches from the end. She wore a tight white top and black pants, and a small amount of makeup. She beamed when she saw Tamaru. "Hey Taru! Hi Sora and Kairi!" Everyone greeted Tifa, and she sat down with the rest of them, next to Kairi. "So, what's up?" Tifa said, arms on the table as she leaned towards Tamaru, who was sitting opposite her. Tamaru told their entire story to Tifa, who listened intently, and took a while to reply. By that time, dinner came, so there was silence at the table for a little while.  
Finally, Tifa broke the silence. "Hmm, interesting. So, Ansem's still alive and has one of your friends captive?" Sora nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Riku got turned against me when Maleficent found him in Traverse Town, so he was in Hollow Bastion for a while. I had to beat him twice, and then Ansem tried to kill Kairi and I. Riku saved us, and we escaped. The last time I saw him, he was sealed in Kingdom Hearts." Sora looked worried, so Tifa tried to comfort him. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find him. After Sephiroth killed Aerith, she helped us defeat him, and then came back to life. It's amazing what can happen. I'm sure that you can find him, and if you need help, I'll be happy to lend a hand." Tifa grinned, and Sora grinned back. "Thanks."  
Tifa then looked at Kairi. "So, you're a princess right?" Kairi shrugged. "I'm not sure. Everyone's told me that I am, but the only home I remember is Destiny Islands. Even if I could go back to where I was, I'm not even sure that I want to all that much. I loved living on the island." Tifa nodded sympathetically. "No matter what life throws at you, you've just gotta bounce back and roll with the punches. Maybe, if you do end up ruling a world, you'll find out that you like it more than you'd think." Kairi nodded, and smiled.  
Before they knew it, their plates were empty and the waitress was bringing them some dessert. Sora looked at the plate curiously. "What's that?" Tifa grinned. "It's Barret's and Marlene's specialty: 7th Heaven Pie. It's got chocolate crust, cookies 'n cream ice cream, chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, and tons of whipped cream. Try it!" Kairi took a tentative bite, and her expression proved that it lived up to its name: heavenly. Quite a while of blessed silence ensued as everyone savored the pie. Once it was finished, Tifa looked over at Tamaru.  
"So, where are you going next?" Tifa asked. Tamaru shrugged. "Dunno. Leaving here tomorrow, as I've still got some shopping. Then, it's probably to the Tetra Islands, and then probably Spira." Tifa nodded. "Well, say hi to Nanaki for me, and if you need help, don't hesitate to call me." Tamaru smiled. "OK, it was nice seeing you!" Sora and Kairi chorused, "Bye!" and they left the bar, tired out from a long day.  
Tamaru led the way back, and before everyone knew it, they were back at her home. Sprawling on the couch, Tamaru grabbed a remote, and turned on the TV. Flipping through the channels, she stopped on a random anime series. Kairi and Sora found chairs to sit at, and for the next hour they stared at the TV screen and watched anime. Tamaru looked at Sora and Kairi. "You liked it?" Sora shrugged, but Kairi nodded. Tamaru yawned. "I'm so tired, I can hardly think. Help me set up your beds so that we can all get some rest." Sora and Kairi nodded, too tired to do anything else. Kairi and Tamaru put some blankets on the couch for Sora, and they were ready to go. Luckily, the guest bed and Tamaru's bed were already made, so they could sleep. Everyone changed into more comfortable clothes, and fell into bed. Mimiru curled up next to Tamaru, and she turned off the lights. "G'night!" Tamaru called, hearing answers of varying awakeness, and fell asleep instantly.  
Everyone was asleep by midnight. Or, at least, everyone was supposed to be asleep. Sora wasn't. He was staring out the window, watching various nighttime birds fly past the window. His head was still reeling from everything that had happened that day. This time yesterday he had been asleep in King Mickey's castle after rescuing him, without Kairi or Riku and not knowing how to get back to find them. Now, he was with Kairi, on his way to find Riku, meeting whole new people and going to whole different worlds. He should have been excited, but he honestly wasn't. Instead, he felt foreboding. It wasn't that he didn't trust Tamaru or Griffin or anyone else that he met, but it was that he was surprised. Why would so many people be trying to help a boy and his friend from a tiny island? It didn't make sense. True, they would have to fight Ansem again, but nobody was rushing to attack him the first time, either. He had a feeling that Tamaru had her own score with Ansem to settle. Still unsure of what the next day would be like, Sora fell into an uneasy sleep.  
"Wake up!" Tamaru called in a singsong voice. Sora groaned and stretched. The couch groaned with him as he sat up, blinking and rubbing his eyes. Kairi came out of the bedroom, looking well-rested and ready to go. Tamaru smiled at them both. "Morning! Want some breakfast?" She gestured to the plates of pancakes and bacon, and Sora nodded enthusiastically. Kairi and Sora sat next to each other, Tamaru finding a seat across from them. Mimiru looked to be growing already, as she now came up to Tamaru's knee. Tamaru set some bacon in a small bowl, poured syrup in it, and gave it to Mimiru, who purred happily before eating. Tamaru then passed the syrup around, and began to eat. "So, what's the plan for today?" Kairi wanted to know. Tamaru cleared her throat, and said, "After breakfast, I have to go a couple more places, but you can stay here. After that, I'm taking you clothes shopping." Sora was about to protest, but Tamaru held up one finger. "Lemme talk. After that, we're gonna have lunch somewhere, and wait for Griff back here. When he gets here, we're leaving for the Tetra Islands."  
Sora looked confused. "Why there?" Tamaru responded, "A couple of reasons. For one thing, it has the best magic accessories and repellants. For another, it may be where Ansem is hiding Riku. Actually, it's probably where he is, since magic is extra strong there. Also, everyone there lives so far apart from each other that Ansem could easily hide out there. Now, I need to get going, so I'll see ya later. You can hang around here if you want, or get Cait Sith to take you somewhere. Directions are over there." She pointed to the table. "Bye!" Kairi and Sora called as Tamaru went out the door.  
  
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